Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2020 2:07:46 GMT -5
One of the masters of sightlines and framing does it again! Really fun round on this beauty tonight, loved it.  |
|
|
|
Post by charliehustle on Dec 5, 2020 16:59:05 GMT -5
I really enjoyed playing this course. I found it to be very impressive visually and in terms of playability. I really appreciate courses that have a more natural look to them. Sometimes, people go overboard with planting and it actually takes away from the visual experience. This is not to say that I found the course to be complete perfection. At times there were just way too many bunkers and it wasn't consistent with the majority of the holes. The ninth hole stands out in that regard. It was bunkered heavily like it was a war zone. But I really did like the consistent shaping of the bunkers on all of the holes, they were a nice look individually. Outside of the bunkers, and this is kinda nitpicky, is that there were points at the edges of fairways that didn't look good because of the autogenerated browning of the rough that the fairway was intersecting. You can see a photo of what I am talking about here: stadia.google.com/capture/ef5ea344-24c1-4dfa-aced-743d2415eb30 I really only mention this because this is a contest course. Well done. |
|
|
|
Post by inflames47 on Dec 9, 2020 4:51:43 GMT -5
Set on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific, Camino del Mar presents the player with a strategic journey around a picturesque plot. While not overly long, Camino del Mar's 6900 yd par 70 layout should be approachable while still presenting challenges to the worlds best. Entry into the 2020 Dream Team Competition.
Beautiful course and today is my choice to pick a course today in a skins match with boys from the Brew Crew Society 1pm BST SAM will be streaming |
|
|
|
Post by mattf27 on Dec 9, 2020 8:56:14 GMT -5
Well, you're either trying to troll me or troll SAM, both of which I find funny, so enjoy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Koop on Dec 16, 2020 23:59:01 GMT -5
I enjoyed my round! Fun course! Thank you for making this! :-) Long live the Joy of Planting!
|
|
|
|
Post by cd06 on Dec 18, 2020 4:43:07 GMT -5
Interesting to hear the working title of this was "Torrey but better"... Torrey isn't that good anyway. This, on the other hand, looks absolutely stunning. I'm a little late playing this one but I'll give my thoughts by the end of today. Looks great!
|
|
|
|
Post by mattf27 on Dec 18, 2020 10:25:41 GMT -5
Interesting to hear the working title of this was "Torrey but better"... Torrey isn't that good anyway. This, on the other hand, looks absolutely stunning. I'm a little late playing this one but I'll give my thoughts by the end of today. Looks great! I'm fully behind the "Torrey is actually pretty bad" take, so I wanted to create a similar plot but build a very different course on it. |
|
|
|
Post by williamwes626 on Dec 22, 2020 13:31:29 GMT -5
Reading the contest brochure, Camino Del Mar was the next course that looked interesting enough to try. I drove out West to the Pacific Ocean for a dusk tee time.
Amenities
I parked my car in the beautiful parking lot complete with trees and bushes. It’s all about the little touches. I was able to get my game in order at the driving range and though I never saw a putting green, luckily they were selling food and I was able to shove down some breakfast at 6AM at the gate-enclosed clubhouse. Surprisingly, there were people there and already on the course watching me as I teed off. After following the tradition of petting the lucky Fritsch goat on my way to getting one of the golf carts, I was off to the first hole. Through the course, it was all about the sunlight on the cliffs and aesthetics of playing so many holes along the coast. Once in a while I like to see some kind of reminder that it’s a functioning golf course like an additional equipment shed or a ball washer, water cooler, bench once in a blue moon – even only 1 or 2 along the way, though it’s secondary to the golf. Only the clubhouse area had those peripheral extras
Hole Layout
The difficulty was pretty easy. Wide fairways, many big bunkers, and a solid balance of variations of strategy that lend itself to a smooth round of golf. An even mix of doglegs left and right and straight shot holes. The consistency seeing the big bunkers tied the holes together thematically and the greens were creative. Most of the holes played along the coast on the front nine.
The back half continued the wide fairways, mid-sized greens and huge bunkers. The routing is great as the 10th hole is to the left of the ravine and I can see the 1st hole on the right. The swale on the 10th green was good since it was a drivable par-4. As I’m playing I’m realizing the driver hasn’t been challenged in much yet making this more of a course that favors great approaches and putting. Been playing Georgia Match Club, and that course I think had better strategy concerning the tee shot. Several holes I had wedge approaches that I just popped over any bunkers regardless of if I was on the left or right side of the fairway. A couple of times I used a 3-wood if the fairway was pinched and I still had a wedge in. Irons were hardly needed- I had iron approaches on 3 and 17 of all the non-par-3 holes. The 16th right angle hole with the bunkering reminded me of Wolf Creek in a good way. Shot a 67 (-5). Overall, solid strategy including the par-3’s.
Highlights
A beautiful parkland course along the coast, Camino Del Mar has many great sights and sounds (since there are audiences). With many holes on cliffs there were awesome views of the Pacific along with providing some teeth for the course. Shots towards greens on cliffs were the most intimidating. The first hole was beautiful with the sun’s rays shining straight at me, I felt like I was hitting my golf ball into the horizon. I was greeted by a wide fairway and huge bunkers but the downhill tee shot felt right. The holes along the coastline are like a paradise with a few shots that can be mentally tough. The par-3’s are great especially the 4th hole that drops downhill to a small green and huge bunkers.
I was a little scared to play the second hole because of the suspension bridge I had to cross, but I closed my eyes and drove over to the fairway. I can smell the ocean on the cliff greens of the 5th hole and 6th hole. The routing and visuals has been great through this section of the course. Only a couple of inland holes with the par-5 9th being just as entertaining heading uphill 50 feet with massive bunkers. Getting to play even more holes along or towards the coast for the back nine was through smart routing. 18 I always have high expectations and this met them since you tempted me to try to ricochet it off the clubhouse towards the green on the approach. I aimed for the clubhouse and wound up by the dining tables and the diners cursed me out. Bad etiquette on my part-sorry Matt.
Experience:
I felt like I was on vacation playing this round. Plenty of people to talk to at the clubhouse, I had a bite to eat, met a goat, drove the cart, and then was greeted by a strategically sound course with the ocean usually a presence. Of course all tech stuff was pro so no need to even mention it – routing, slopes, strategy, bunkering, elevation, planting, everything top notch as usual for you Matt. With a course like this, it’s difficult to criticize when you have everything look and play so realistically and elegantly. Not much in negatives to say- maybe not much thinking off the tee or use of irons-I went driver/wedge everywhere except 3 and 16 and I’m CC. It was heavily an approach shot course like Georgia. Other than that, the sights of the ocean, the sun on the cliffs, the course itself all made me feel like I went on vacation. I’ll be back to this course soon and thanks for the experience-worth the flight west. Hope to check out Joy Of Planting if that's your channel so I can learn more about designing.
|
|
|
|
Post by mattf27 on Aug 23, 2022 19:41:19 GMT -5
We'll do a real write-up later because I'm tired and had a long day, but "Camino del Mar '22" is now available for play. '22 is a near complete re-imagining of the original with new bunkering, greens, and several completely redone golf holes.
|
|
|
|
Post by sandgroper on Sept 5, 2022 1:38:48 GMT -5
Hey mattf27, must have been away when this one was released and looking back through the catalogue I'm glad I caught it. Pure play along the cliff tops with some ground game thrown in. Lots of fun! |
|
